Prog Chefs Unite!!!

Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic

   ...ruff! 

anyway, after the slowest punchline delivery in PA history, some cookering:

As some readers of this thread will remember I was experimenting with a homemade smoker over summer (which ended in disaster, but nevermind). Now that winter is here the prospect of venturing outside to bugger about with wood chips and pieces of animal flesh is less appealing, but that hasn't stopped me from venturing further into the realms of home curing.

Preserving meat happens in two stages - first the cure in salt followed by the smoking with hot or cold smoke. Hot smoke cooks the meat while cold smoke just adds flavour - the real preservation is in the cure.

My first success in home curing came with Gravad Lax - which is salmon fillets that have been preserved in Salt - Smoked Salmon starts out like this and then has a few hours smoking to give it flavour, however the addition of fresh dill to the salt cure gives the fish a subtle flavour that I prefer over smoked salmon. For this years festivities I have prepared a side of trout rather than salmon after tasting some excellent gravad lax'd trout at a local smokery a few months back. The process is dead easy - blitz salt, sugar, pepper in a blender and add chopped dill, rub this mixture into both sides of the fillet and tightly wrap in cling-film and place in a non-metallic container in the fridge, turning every day and draining off the excess liquid. After 7-10 days the fish should be firm to the touch, when it is, it is ready. Unwrap the fish and rinse off any salt, slice and serve. (more detailed recipes can be found on the web) (can be frozen if not wanted immediately)

I have made that every year now for some time now and it is a sure-fire winner.

Another recipe I have used a lot is Duck Confit - this starts off in a similar way - duck legs are salted with a mix of salt, pepper, bay-leaves and juniper berries and left for 24 hours so that all the excess moisture is drawn from the meat, After that the salt mixture is rinsed off and the legs patted dry using kitchen paper, they are then cooked in 500g of lard @ 150°C with more bay leaves and juniper berries for 90 minutes and allowed to cool. The legs are then placed in a non-metallic container and the cooking liquid poured over so that everything is covered and can be kept in the fridge for weeks before use. Again more detailed recipes on the web. 

One that I am trying for the first time this year is salt-beef - again, a similar process: salt, sugar, herbs and spices rubbed into the meat and left for 10 days or so to remove all the excess moister - after which the meat is simmered in water for several hours like a gammon.

Edited by Dean - December 12 2009 at 10:56